Vacuum tube device



June 30, 1931. "J. ROBERTSON I ,812,558

VACUUM TUBE DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1928 I a I II; I) Y 1) 4 :9- *Q 5 c'\)M +1 s. 1E3 z X Patented June so, 1931 UNITED STATES IAKES BOBEB'I'ROBERTSON, OIIQNDON, ENGLAND vacuum rum: mm-

. Application m January 11, 102e, Serial m. 24.13.050.11m1' in quant mnu -22, ion.

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to vacuum tubedevices. Among the objects of the invention are to obtain an.

improved vacuum tube for therapeutic nt- '5 poses or for use inconverting electrica s for sound purposes, for example, andthecillations into light oscillations recordin improve tube has otherfields of application also.

In one aspect the improvement in the tube I is effected by making acomposite tube comprising two or more tubes each containinga gas, one ofsaid tubes at least havingan electrode or electrodes which enablea'cu'rrentto be passed through the outside source, and wit trodesextendin adapted to be connected to source of current.

The invention is illustrated in the panying drawings, in which are shownsectional elevations of four different.{Iembod-iments of the invention.

sealed at its ends intoan outer tube B, having expansion chambers B. Thetubes may be of quartz or glass. At one, end 10f the tube A is anelectrode C adapted to be connected to an-outside source of'current,land-zin this construction the capacity b tweeirv the tube andearth is relied on for .th pass-" the passage of hydrogen from onetubeto" the other when the passlng of a current heats these electrodesand when with 'use the pressure of the. hydrogen in the latter tubedrops below that in the former. In this construction of tube a smallquantit of mercury'E is held in the exgansion cham is 1 storm of tube- Bof the outer tube. T

become hard. 7 I )When by, induction the mercury vapour becomesluminous,the electro-conduct1vity glas thereinfrom a one or more'elecfrom withinone [Of- 'the tubes into anot er of the tubes and; not-z" any outside vlIn Fig. 1 an inner tube A, furnished ateither end with expansionchambers A, is

11 both tubes moreover is a;

be' used for therapeutic purposes or PATENT orncsmassage I;have .foundthat the mercury vapoiltin thputer-tubeB is caused'to glow.

' byginductionvfrom current passing through jthe inner-tube A. Theelectrodes D permit *of inter-communication of the electro-con-' ductivegases in the two tubes A and B, and

.boththe tubes are thus wired for an electric circuit andthe current hasmore than one path open-"to'it, if one of the tubes tends tosoftness'.,of both of the tubes becomes aproximately the same, currentfreely passmg directly-through (either chamber, until one of themheilsofter chamber w1ll pass electrodes intercommunicating ub thoughexcluding other gases h'rough. The saidtubes are ermitting the emissionof rjfyof glassonly permitting the i'em ssi'onofgjmvisible rays. Becauseof *the greater electro-conductivity of the rare- :fi'ed gasl'inthescentral tube, the said tube is excited'toluminescence, rich inactinic rays, I by a high' freiiilienc coil on a lower currentconsumptiont va our tubes;

an rmer' types of mercury n Fi .f2;is-.shown-a similar construction tothats, own in Fig. :1, except that an elec- Atrode C fortheoutsidesource of current is' furnished at both endsoi the tube A. p

In Fig. 3i -is shown atube without mercury andTherethe inner tube X hasan expansion chamber 'X'," and on to the ends of tube X is sealeda'similar tube Y with expansion chamber Y and outside-the tube Y is athird tube Electrodes C are provided at each ,endjof the tubeXforconnection toan outside source'of current and these electrodes alsoconnect with the'interior of theouter tube Z. Between the tubes X'and Yis an electrode C',' between the tubes Y and Z are electrodes C",andbetweentubes X and Z is anelectrode C'. All the tubes are. thusinterconnected by electrodes, not connected directly with the electrodesC which permit becomes hard, when hydrogen appears.

The inner tubes in any of these construe-g tions may contain or becoated with zinc sulplhi'de or other radio-active substance, in

own manner, which when heated gives off radio-active particles that acton the gas contained in the outer tube and by softening it provide abridge which assists the passing of a current through the outer tube andthe vaporizing of the mercury, if such is present;

The eifect of the hydrogen in tubesbeing able to pass from one tube toanother may be-said to have a regenerative action on the tube as awhole, and the life of the tube is lengthened, as it does not so soonbecome exhausted and have to be recharged with rarified gas.

It is known that compositions of uranium give off spontaneouslyradiations, and that radio-active substances are used in ordinaryGeissler vacuum tubes, but I have found that by passing a current of.electricity through one of the inner chambers of a compound vacuumtubemade of glass in which is incorporated a radio-active substance oron which a radio-active substance is painted and when a suitableelectric potential is applied, the

stream of electrons so caused collides with,

and disrupts, some 'ofthe atoms .of gas. These energized gas atoms thusillumine the outer chamber of the said tube by induction when thecurrent is passed through the innerchamber, and vice versa; Moreover,when the compound vacuum tube is charged with helium gas, theelectroniclstream passing through the tube increases the emission ofalpha particles (heliumgas atoms) from theradio-activejsubstance in oron the glass. Thus released, thesehelium gas atoms help to maintain thesoftness and the life of the tube and make the tube self-regenerative,for it is known that helium is generated in direct ratio as the emissionof radium dis- The several tubes may contain gases adapted to givedifierent colours upon the passing of a current.

What I claim is:

1 A compound vacuum tubecomprising a I plurality 0 wherein an "innertube is of'such nature that,

tubes sealed one within another when warmed, it gives off radio-activeparticles which act'upon the gas contained in another ofthe tubes.

2. A compound vacuum tube comprising .a plurality of tubes sealed fromone another and each containing a gas, an electrode the several in claim2, wherein one of said tubes adapted to be connected to an outsidesource of current and an intertube electrode not connected directly withany outside source of current and exten fi'om within one of said tubesinto anot er of said tubes, said inter-tube electrode being composed ofa substance which will permit gas to pass. from one tube to another.

3. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inter-tubeelectrodes are made of platinum.

4. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tubescontain hydrogen and nitrogen.

' 5. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tubescontain hydrogen and neon.

6. A compound vacuum tube as claimed-in claim 2, wherein the severaltubes contain gases adapted to give respectively different colours onthe passing of a gas through them.

7. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of thetubes contains mercury. O

8. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein one tube issealed at its ends outside another tube andthe'inner tube has in atleast one end an electrode adapted to be connected to the outside sourceof current.

9. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein one tubecontains the remaining tubes of the composite tube and is sealed at itsends upon the other tubes.

10. A compound vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least oneof the tubes is provided with an expansion chamber.

11. A compound vacuum tube comprising a plurality of tubes sealed fromone another and each containin a gas, an inter-tube electrode extendingom within one of said tubes into another of said tubes, said intertubeelectrode being composed of a substance which will permit gas to passfrom one tube to another.

12. A compound vacuum tube comprising a plurality of tubes sealed fromone another and each containing a gas, electrodes in a plurality of saidtubes, adapted to be connected directly to an outside source of current,and inter-tube electrodes, not connected directly with an outside sourceof current connecting the gasesin a plurality of said tubes, saidinter-tube electrodes being com-- posed of a substance which will permitgas to pass between the tubes.

13. A com and vacuum tube as claimed in claim 2, whzrein the tubescontain hydron. 14. A compound vacuum tube as claimed 'the tubes containhydrogen and helium'. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. v

JAMES ROBERT ROBERTSON.

